Possible tornado being investigated in Manitoba community
Environment Canada and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is investigating a possible tornado in Binscarth, Man. on Thursday night.
The weather agency said that it doesn’t have sufficient evidence yet to confirm the tornado, but meteorologists are investigating and looking for pictures of the suspected tornado or any damage it may have caused.
This news comes after a strong thunderstorm moved into Manitoba on Thursday night and into Friday morning. During this time, the storm brought large hail to several communities.
According to Environment Canada, Binscarth and Rossburn received baseball-sized hail that in some cases, broke windows and damaged sidings.
Those in Oakburn were hit with hail that ranged in size from golf balls to tennis balls, while Plumas and Clear Lake got toonie-sized hail.
Environment Canada reported that Sandy Lake received quarter-sized hail, and Waywayseecappo got nickel-sized hail.
Along with hail, the storm also brought heavy winds that reached over 100 km/h in some communities.
According to Environment Canada, Pilot Mound got winds as strong as 104 km/h, while in Russell and Clearwater, they reached 91 km/h. Manitou also experienced strong winds that got as fast as 89 km/h.
Those with information about the potential tornado in Binscarth or any severe weather event are asked to call 1-800-239-0484, email mbstorm@ec.gc.ca or tweet with the hashtag #mbstorm.
'IT CAME RIGHT AT US'
Darcy Kowalchuk was at his home in Binscarth when ECCC issued a tornado warning for the community. Weather radar appeared to show the storm would track north of Binscarth, so Kowalchuk went outside to see what was brewing.
That’s when he spotted what looked like a super cell cloud.
“The giant cell seemed to pause and then it made a little turn, and it came right at us. You could see it developing its structure as time went on,” he recalled.
As it approached, he said the wind rapidly switched directions and the temperature changed.
“We prepared to go to the basement,” he said.
Kowalchuk watched the storm pass from the basement window, initially thinking it would miss them.
“Then the hail was at the back end of it,” he said, estimating golf ball to baseball-sized hail fell for almost five minutes.
Golf ball sized hail is pictured in Binscarth, Manitoba following a storm on June 23, 2022. (Twitter photo: Darcy Kowalchuk @DarcyKowalchuk)
The hail made big holes on the siding on the north side of his home, plus it took out a plastic skylight and a camper window.
A second storm later that night bringing heavy rain, wind and lightning didn’t help matters, either.
Kowalchuk said this is the second storm in five days in the area. He filmed them and others over the years and shared them on social media.
“Someone called me a storm chaser and I said, ‘well, that's not correct because I've videoed three weather events from my deck.’ It's not like I'm actually chasing them. They're chasing me,” he laughed.
- With files from CTV’s Tim Salzen.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A newspaper says video of Prince William and Kate should halt royal rumour mill. That's a tall order
Prince William and his wife Catherine have been filmed at a farm shop near their Windsor home, The Sun newspaper reported -- the first footage of Kate since she had abdominal surgery for an unspecified condition two months ago.
'You ask for your money, they disappear': Ontario man loses $17K to AI crypto scam
A Toronto man is spreading the word of a cryptocurrency scam that lures victims using AI-generated news sites after he lost $17,000 in investments.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
High thoughts: The habits of Canadian cannabis users are revealed in a new StatCan report
Statistics Canada has conducted a series of surveys to measure the impacts of legalized cannabis since the Cannabis Act took effect in 2018. The latest one, the 2023 National Cannabis Survey, sheds light on users' preferences and habits last year.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Trump says Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and their religion
Former U.S. president Donald Trump on Monday charged that Jews who vote for Democrats 'hate Israel' and hate 'their religion,' igniting a firestorm of criticism from the White House and Jewish leaders.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Freddie Mercury's home is on the market for first time since 1980 minus his 'exquisite clutter'
Freddie Mercury's sanctuary in London, where he lived the last decade of his life, is on sale for the first time in nearly half a century -- minus his "exquisite clutter."
'The lost season': Winter comes to a close as Canada's warmest on record
The warmest winter on record could have far-reaching effects on everything from wildfire season to erosion, climatologists say, while offering a preview of what the season could resemble in the not-so-distant future unless steps are taken to cut greenhouse gas emissions.